To beg any of you Scottish mumsnetters to help me with a Burns Supper?

[Diddydollydo]

In his drunken rantings on NYE, DH has invited 4 other couples to our house at the end of Jan for a 'Burns Supper'. DH's best mate is Scottish, hence the idea and thought it would be a nice change for the rest of us. I'm quite happy to do this as I love cooking (except our house is tiny so it'll be a squeeze . Now here is my problem - I have NO idea what to serve apart from haggis, tatties and turnip (neeps?) so I need help! I want to do a haggis dish and a simple chicken dish and also serve some other traditional Scottish bits like shortbread etc so Scottish mumsnetters, HELP!

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

Probably hard to find but those pies with the hard thin pastry and the little raised rim (so that you can pile peas onto it)- filled with spicy mutton (AKA "stingy mince pies")
Macaroni cheese pies (the mind boggles)

And when my dad came to visit me, (in the Sarf East) he was delighted to find chicken curry pies in Morrisons.

[quoteunquote]

what mankyscotslass said, turnips are for cattle and sheep.

I'm a shocked that some serve haggis not whole,

How do you then address the haggis?

Rabbie would be shocked.

[Diddydollydo]

I am officially excited about this now, brilliant suggestions from everyone! :)

[quoteunquote]

when I was at school in Scotland(Edinburgh), we all had to learn two poems each year, they would choose one and you could choose at least one other,

Reply to a trimming epistle,Twa wives, and the Hugh logan ones were all popular, you had to recite them in front of the whole school and local dignitaries

"What ails ye now, ye lousie bitch" is great to say when staring at your headmistress.

[mybabyweightiseightyearsold]

google "My girl she?s airy"... it is vair rude...

[MotherOfNations]

How about some haggis pakoras? all the takeaways here in Glasgow do them.

[PumpkinPositive]

Cullin skink soup - yum, yum.

Irn Bru is a must.

[DonkeysDontRideBicycles]

Eddi Reader singing My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose brings a tear to my eye.

[mybabyweightiseightyearsold]

Oh yes, she's got an album of Burns Songs?

Smashing.

I rather fancy hosting one myself now!

[Highlander]

Traditional meal is:

Cock a leekie soup/smoked salmon with oatcakes

Haggis neeps and tatties. Can serve up a steak pie as well

Cranachan or clootie dumpling

I do all the usual speeches, plus everyone has to recite a bit of Burns.

[MotherOfNations]

I second the Cullen Skink. It's amazing and so easy to make.

[AgentProvocateur]

I love Twa Wives - is that the one where she "cackit doon her breeches"?

[mybabyweightiseightyearsold]

Yep, I think there's some girl on girl action too.

[HazeltheMcWitch]

If you're looking for 'nibbles', Lidl's had Haggis and something crisps the other day. they're made by Mackies, which is a lovely Scottish brand. 70 mentions them above, they also do ice cream.

[poachedeggs]

You HAVE to have the toast to the lassies and a reply - that's the fun bit!

If people are not big haggis fans it makes a great starter if you microwave it with cream and Drambuie - serve with oatcakes :)

Yes to cranachan. I like it with Greek yogurt instead of cream, and with plenty heather honey and whisky through it.

Yum!

[poachedeggs]

Yes to Mackie's too - icecream of the gods!

[HazeltheMcWitch]

And re music, you probably need some Flower of Scotland at some point. My favourite rendition is Amy McDonald, live at Hampden Park (can get it on youtube). Prob best if you play it later on in evening, for maximum Roar-Along potential.

And for the antithesis: The Corries, a gentle, folk-duo, who were the soundtrack to my early life as my parents loved them. Would make good chilled music for when people are just arriving.

[HazeltheMcWitch]

How does everyone here make their Whisky Sauce for the haggis? I do it, in what I consider the traditional style - ie take some whisky and chuck it on the haggis... I know some people big jessies faff around and dilute it out with cream and the like...

[SetPhasersTaeMalkie]

I know someone has mentioned it but you should really try to get some veggie haggis too. It really spicy and has a much nicer texture than 'real' haggis.

[LadyBeagleEyes]

I loved the Corries too Hazel.
That would be a good choice for the music.

[quoteunquote]

We always have The Cast playing, terrible good for homesickness, the winnowing, is a great album, they all are.

www.mairicampbell.co.uk/music/
www.myspace.com/mairicampbelldavefrancis

[Salmotrutta]

You must not read the address to the haggis by the way.

It must be recited from memory as you can't be holding a book and stabbing the haggis.

Plus it looks crap reading it rather than reciting.

And it's not a proper Burns supper if there is no toast to the lassies or a reply from them.

My grandad was in the Burns society.

I urge you all to read Holy Willy's Prayer - it's fabulous.

[Salmotrutta]

God, I'm sorry that sounded very rude and like I was barking orders at you!!

[SchroSawMargeryDaw]

Balmoral chicken is yum but I agree about addressing the haggis!

Waitrose sell black pudding scotch eggs, they might be a good idea. You can get tablet ice cream and Irn Bru ice cream or we've always made irn bru floats, so a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a glass of Irn Bru, it's lovely.